Vacuum-tube socket



June 17, 1930, w. A. MacDoNALD 1,763,796

VACUUM TUBE SOCKET Flea may 21, 1925 Y 'I INVENTOR /l/f//f'aw /f/acwmid BY mammww,

ATTORNEYS Patented June 17, 193D UNITED STATES PATENT. OFFICE v IAM A. MACDONALD, F LITTLE NEC-K, NEW YORK, .ASSIGNOR TO HAZELTIHE OOBPORATION, A CORPORATION 0F DELAWARE vacuum-runs:4 sooner Application med Hay al,

This invention relates to sockets for vacutubes.

1t is known that the vacuum tubes because of their delicate structure are microphonic 5 so that when they are mounted in a radio set these tubes are responsive to any shocks or mechanical disturbances yof the set in which they are mounted.

ln accordance with one feature of the inw Vention, it is proposed to rovide resilient springs, preferably of the leaf type, contacting with the terminals of the-vacuum tube, which springs resiliently support the vacuum tube and thereby absorb mechanical shocks, while serving to make good electrical connections with the terminals.

Another feature of the invention includes the mounting of the resilient contact springs in dierent planes to support the vacuum tube securely against movement. p

@ther features of the invention reside in the simplicity of design which results in easy manufacture and assembly with a consequent reduction in cost. Accordingly, it is 2u preferable that the resilient conducting springs be stamped in one piece. This construction not only greatly reduces the cost of manufacture, but also-results in improved electrical eiiiciency by eliminating metal-to-l metal contacts which usually corrode and thus introduce undesirable resistance into the circuits.

In the drawings:

Figure 1 representsa side view partially a5 in section of a vacuum tube mounted in the supporting structure, the section being taken on the linel 1-1 of Fig. 3;

Figure 2 represents a top view with the bub of the vacuum tube above the base omitte v Figure 3 represents a bottom view of the tube supporting arrangement; y

Figure 4 is a detailed view of a portlon of one of the supportin springs.

Referring tothe gures: 5 designates a panel or support having an opening therein slightly larger'than the base of the vacuum tube generally designated 6. At four pointsV equall spaced about this opening there are y provi ed posts 7 8, 9 and 22, best shown in -may be soldered directly to the springs,

i925. semi memes. c

Figures 1 and 3. lit will be noted that the pair of posts 7 and 8 are substantially longer than the pair of supporting posts, such as 9 and 22. At the lower end of these posts are mounted by meansv of screws resilient leaf springs 10, 11, 12 and 13. `These springs have a rig t-angle twist intermediate their ends `and terminate in a clip formed by doubling vwith common practice, it is usually desirable to form an integral lug, or tab, at or near the end of each spring when the spring is 'being stamped out so that the connecting leads 71E) whereby good electrical unions are assured. The four terminals of the tube instead of extending through the'end or lower surface of the base 6, as is now the practice, terminate in buttons, such as 15, 16, 17 and 18. By locating these buttons in pairs, one pair being in a different horizontal plane from the other pair, thetube has no tendency to tip, or rotate in a vertical plane with the buttons as an axis.. Furthermore, this arrangement facilitates thel electrically elicient location of lead wires within the tube base. The apertures-23, Fig. 4, are preferably of such size that the contact buttons seat into them when the tube is rotated into its permanent posiobtained if the buttons rested on flat spring surfaces.

The base of the tube is shown provided with a pin 19 arranged to enter an opening in the support 2O which opening communicates with a slot 21 also serving to limit the downward movement of the vacuum tube. This pin 19 and the groove 21 insure the proper connection of the tube elements to their co-rresponding springs 10 to 13, inclusive. The vacuum tube, however, is supported solely by these springs. The right-angle twist in cach spring introduces at least two advantages. First, it allows the contact surfaces of the springs to be parallel to the sides of the tube base, and thus parallel to the effective .coiitactsurfaces of the contact buttons; and

second, the springs are thus caused to be flexible both horizontally and vertically, i. e., liexible in two planes mutually at right angles, whereby mechanical shocks from all directions are substantially absorbed by the springs, and consequently are not transmitted to tlie vacuum tube.

It will be understood that this disclosure is merely typical of an arrangement in which a vacuum tube is entirely supported by resilient contact springs, which also serve as electrical conductors for the vacuum tube.

I claim:

1. A socket for resiliently mounting a vacuum tube having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising a support having an opening therein adapted to receive the base of a vacuum tube, and flexible shock-absorbing conducting springs secured to said support and adapted to engage said terminals by means of spring-pressed contacts formed by doubling back upon A themselves the bifurcated ends of the springs, said springs being twisted so as to engage said terminals with a friction surface at right angles to the plane of said support and so as to be iexible both vertically and horizontally, said springs being the only sup orting means for said vacuum tube, where y said vacuum tube is rendered substantially immune to mechanicalvibration of said socket.

2. A socket for resiliently mounting a vacuum tube having a plurality of terminals,.

said socket comprising a base portion, and flexible shock-absorbing conducting springs secured to said base portion and adapted to engage said terminals, said springs being mounted at different distances from the plane of said base portion, and being the only supporting means for said vacuum tube. 3. A socket for resiliently mounting a vacuum tube having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising a support having an opening therein adapted to receive the base of a vacuum tube, and flexible shock-absorbing conducting springs secured to said support and adapted to engage said terminals, said springs being flexible both vertically and horizontally and being mounted on said support adjacent said opening, said springs being the only supporting means for said vacuum tube, certain of said springs being piovided with means to limit rotary movement of said vacuum tube.

4. A socket for resiliently mounting a vacuum tube having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising a base, and flexible shockabsorbing conducting leaf springs secured to said base and adapted to engage said terminals by means of spring-pressed contacts, each of said springs being twisted substantially at right angles so as to be fiexib'le both vertically and horizontally, and being the only supporting means for said vacuum tube,

whereby said tube is rendered substantially immune to mechanical vibration of said socket.

5. A socket for resiliently mounting a vacuum tube having a plurality of terminals, said soc-ket comprising a base, and one-piece eXible shock-absorbing conducting leaf springs secured to said base and adapted to engage said terminals by means of springpressed contact portions integral with said conducting springs, each of said springs being twisted substantially at right angles so as to be flexible both vertically and horizontally and being the only supporting means for said vacuum tube, whereby said' tube is ren-\ dered substantially immune to mechanical vibration of said socket.

6. A socket for resiliently mounting al vacuum tube having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising a base and flexible shock-absorbing conducting leaf springs s ecured to said base and adapted to engagesaid terminals, each of said springs being twisted substantially at right angles so as to be flexible in two planes mutually at right angles, v said springs being the only supporting means for said vacuum tube, whereby said tube 1s rendered substantially immune to mechanical vibration of said socket.

7. A socket for resiliently mounting a vacuum tube having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising a base and flexible shock-absorbing conducting leaf springs s ecured to said base and adapted to engage said terminals, certain of said springs being provided with means for limiting rotary movement of said vacuum tube, and each of said springs being twisted substantially at right engage said terminals b means of springpressed contacts, each o said springs being twisted so as to present surfaces in a plurality of planes, whereb said resilient ymounting is operative to a sorbmechanical vibrations occurring in planes substantially at right angles, respectively, to said first-mentioned planes, with the result that Said tube is rendered substantially immune to said vibrations.

9. A socket for resiliently mounting a vacuum tube having a plurality of terminals, saidsocketcomprising a base and flexible shock-absorbing conducting lear` springs securedto said base and adapted to engage said terminals, each of said springs being twisted so asto present surfaces in a plurality of planes, .whereby said resilient mounting is operative to absorb mechanical vibrations occurring in planes substantially at right angles, respectively, to said rst-mentioned planes, with the result that said tube is rendered substantially immune to said vibrations. v

10. A socket for resiliently mounting a v vacuum tube havin a longitudinal am's and a plurality of terminals arran ed about said axis, said socket comprising a ase andlfiexible shock-absorbing conducting leaf springs secured to said base and adapted to engage of said vacuum tube in a direction perpendicular to said planar portion.

12. Ina radio apparatus, thecombination of a panel board having an opening therethru, a plurality otcontact members carried bythe panel board, the wall of the opening in the panel board having a notch, and a radio tube having its base portion extending thru the opening in the panel board and provided with terminals in engagement with the corresponding contact members, said base portion being provided with a stud seated in the notch in the wall '0f the Opening, the'notch and the stud havinga predetermined relation to insure the engagement of said terminals with the corresponding contact elements when the stud is seated in the notch, and stops carried by certain of the contact members and engaged by the outer end of the neck of the tube to limit the insertion of the tube thru the opening.

In'testimony whereof I aiix my signature. WILLIAM A, MACDONALD. l

said terminals so as to be the only supporting i means for said vacuum tube, said Asprings being located about an axis perpendicular to the plane of said base and coinciding with said irst-mentioned axis when said tube is mounted in. said socket, each of said springs being curved and twistedl at right angles s0 as to be iexible in two planes mutually at` vrlght angles, said springs being secured to saidbase with a curved surface approximately concentrle to said second-mentloned axls,

whereby said tube may be moved slightly in ing an opening therein adapted to receive the said socket in both directions along its longitudinal axis and in all directions ina plane parallel to the plane offsaid base while its longitudinal axis remains substantially perpendicular to the plane 'of said base. l

11. A socket for' resiliently mounting a vvacuum tube having a plurality of terminals, said socket comprising a planar portion havbase of the vacuum tube, and flexible shockabsorbing conducting springs secured to said planar portion and adapted to engage said terminals, said springs being mounted on said planar portion adjacent said opening, and being the only supporting means or said vacuum tube, each spring being curved approximately concentrically with the tube base whereby said tube may be moved slightly in said socket in the plane of said planar p0rtion while the tubeis maintained perpendicular to said plane, all of said springs belng iexible vertically and certain thereof being l provided with means to limit the movement 

